Ichimotsu
by Mariphasa Hecatene
Summary: A birthday present for Son Goku, in which I tried to give him the one thing I thought he'd want most. K rated. Contains epic glompage.


_Ichimotsu_

Written for Son Goku's birthday in 2008--in answer to the question 'if you could give him any one thing for a birthday present, what would it be?'---No gore, sex or bad language, but there's one epic glomp. =) And if I had my way, it would happen sometime in _Saiyuki Reload_ vol. 10.

Standard disclaimer: I do not own the characters, plot or situations of _Saiyuki_, which are forever the property of Kazuya Minekura, may she live long and prosper: but I like to take them for a spin now and then. No profit made, no disrespect intended.

"Ichimotsu" means "hold one single thing".

* * *

Goku was going to do something, though Hakkai couldn't guess what. He hadn't said a word as they'd finally--_finally--_driven away with Sanzo in his rightful seat, but his eyes hadn't wavered from the monk in miles, and Hakkai felt certain he was just waiting to be sure that insidious little bishop was well and truly out of their rearview mirror.

Whatever he did, Hakkai hoped Sanzo would go easy on him. Not that he'd mind a scolding or a wallop with the fan--he'd probably welcome either one, really--but he deserved better. It had been heart-wrenching to watch him suffer, these long weeks they'd been only three; carrying on, brave and cheerful, but always waiting, wistful golden eyes always straying to the spot where Sanzo should be. _Waiting for you_…he glanced at the priest with an inward sigh of concern. There was a strained, asthmatic rasp in his breathing that Hakkai didn't like at all; he suspected that Sanzo had been smoking much more than he ought to while they were apart. Yare yare, none of us have been ourselves.

_--Well, we'll soon see what Goku has in mind_, he thought, as Jeep crested the rise and started down into the valley. Up here the rocks still glowed in the sunset, while in the vale below evening had already come, and a small town's lights twinkled warmly. "The inn here is supposed to have a very good restaurant, " Hakkai remarked, "they spoke highly of it in the last town."

"Man, I could do with some food," said Gojyo, stretching, with a sidelong glance at Goku. Usually that was enough to get him drooling and anticipating the menu, but--nope. He was fixed on Sanzo with the single-point concentration of a cat ready to pounce, and Gojyo's eyes flicked to Hakkai to be sure he'd noticed. Oh, for sure.

The silence held for about five more minutes, while Jeep carefully crept down the narrow, twisting little road into the valley, and then Sanzo abruptly said, "Hakkai. Stop."

Hakkai picked a flattish spot and pulled off the road, and Sanzo turned to face Goku, weary but resolute.

"You've been burning a hole in the back of my head for the past hundred miles. If you've got something to say, let's hear it."

"Not in the car," said Goku quietly.

Now _that_, Hakkai hadn't anticipated; but Sanzo just ch'd and did as bidden, Goku following. Hakkai looked at Gojyo, not sure if they should say something or not_. I suppose if he wants to take it out of Sanzo's hide, he's got a right to, after all he went through--but--_

The monk drew himself up and looked straight at Goku, unreadable, and the _saru--_

--flung himself at Sanzo, threw his arms around him and hugged him, face buried in his chest.

(And that, no one had anticipated.)

--A moment passed with no gunshot, no volley of curses, no whack of the harisen. Gojyo cautiously opened one squeezed-shut eye just in time to see Sanzo rest his hand on the tousled brown hair and stand there, head lowered, eyes closed. _ Awww, sweet. --_Hakkai smiled: that timeless gesture of peace and benediction, he'd seen it pass between them so many times, and it probably meant more to Goku than they could imagine…

Then Sanzo exhaled--a long ragged breath--bit into his lower lip, and took Goku's shoulders and pulled him close, convulsively, hugged him so fiercely his feet left the ground, and they overbalanced and sat down with a thud. Goku pulled himself into Sanzo's lap, arms around his neck and head on his shoulder, and the monk gathered him in, curled over him protectively and held him tight, face pressed into the curve of his neck. If either said anything, only the other could hear it.

You could _fee_l the torn fabric of the world mend itself.

Gojyo reached over--without turning his head-- and took Hakkai's hand. Hakkai folded his fingers around it, gave a gentle squeeze, letting every detail of the moment sink into his memory. _As we were. As we should be._

The evening wind shifted, carrying a drift of woodsmoke and savory fragrance up from the valley. After a beat, Sanzo spoke without looking up: "You say the food here is good?"

"So they tell me."

He straightened up and gave Goku's shoulder a tap. "Food. Let's go."

"Okay," said Goku, more than a little wistfully.

As they climbed back into Hakuryu, Hakkai cocked his head and listened: the discomfiting rasp in Sanzo's breathing had completely disappeared.

* * *

Hours later, with Goku snoring on the table and the fourth, or maybe fifth or sixth, flask of sake sitting between them, Gojyo said in an odd, dreamy voice, "It reminds me of that time in the library."

"Library?" Hakkai raised a perfectly sober eyebrow, privately doubting that Gojyo had ever set foot in such a place. To his surprise, Sanzo nodded, pouring his nth shot.

"The time your boring stories put him to sleep. I remember."

"And he decided to use your knee for a pillow. I thought you'd hit the roof, but you just gave him a pat and went on filing. I said to myself, that kid's gotten under his skin for good." Gojyo tossed one back. " And here we still are…"

Hakkai stared at them. "What are you talking about?"

"The time--um--" Gojyo blinked at Sanzo. "What _are_ we talking about?"

_Library-- _Hakkai thought, something tugging like a child at his sleeve, and suddenly there it was, clear as day:Goku curled up on his side, long hair and chains trailing on the dusty floor, snuggled up to a folded knee draped in lavender veils; and, for a moment, one graceful hand resting on his head.

_As we were…_

The monk gazed into his sake cup. "…Whatever it was, it's gone."

"No, I wouldn't say that," said Hakkai.

.


End file.
